How popular is Texans QB C.J. Stroud? Jersey sales have a say

C.J. Stroud has gained more national praise as the Texans continue to show up on primetime television.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is the top name in the NFL. 

Well, as a passer, he’s usually regarded as one of the 10 best quarterbacks. 

When it comes to jersey sales, he wins the crown. 

The NFL on Tuesday announced the top 10 jersey sales for 2024, entering November as the holiday season. Stroud’s No. 7 Texans jersey tops all other players between April 1 and Oct. 1.

Even with the inconsistent play on the field, Stroud’s status from a nationwide perspective continues to grow. Ask any fans on the AFC South franchise which jersey they’re saving up for and the better question would be which jersey color they will be donning with the No. 7 attached to the back. 

Quarterbacks owned the top five, per usual. Chicago Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Washington Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels all ranked inside the top five. 

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year before his season-ending leg injury, came in at No. 4. 

Rounding out the top 10 included Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Why is Stroud so popular? For starters, his allegiance to California likely carries weight, leading to a majority of fans from Los Angeles saving up to buy his gear. 

There’s also the Ohio State crowd showing support for his college day. Stroud, a two-time Heisman finalist, nearly led the Buckeyes to the national championship twice, including a College Football Playoff appearance in 2022 against Georgia.

Stroud’s also just a likable person who continues to appear on the primetime stage. With the Texans’ matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football this week, it’ll mark the fourth consecutive week Stroud has played in the standalone window this season. 

Houston also will have two standalone games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens next month, bringing the total to seven games. The Texans also remain the favorite to win the division despite losing three of their last four outings.

In September, Stroud landed atop the NFL Players Association’s top 50 player sales list for all officially licensed products sold after being the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.

In 10 games, Stroud has completed 62.9% of his passes for 2,731 yards and 12 touchdown passes against six interceptions. 

Texans vs. Cowboys broadcast map: Will the Week 11 game be on TV?

Here’s which games you can watch this weekend on top of the Houston Texans’ matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

After playing in primetime on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 10, the Houston Texans (6-4) will stay in front of a national TV audience on Monday when they visit the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) in Arlington.

The battle for the Lone Star State kicks off on ESPN and ABC as part of Week 11’s ‘Monday Night Football’ actions. Both teams are coming off losses and could use a premier win just to salvage a season of dismay.,

This is one of those games for the whole country to enjoy. So long as you have ABC or ESPN on your television, you’ll catch the showdown at AT&T Stadium between a pair of Texans-based squads looking to have bragging rights until the next time they meet.

Check the map from 506 Sports below to see what other games will be on in your area on Sunday afternoon. On CBS, most Texans will watch the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers before a national showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

On FOX, the Green Bay Packers will take on the Chicago Bears, headlined by the voice of seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call for ESPN, while Lisa Salters will serve as the sidelines reporter in Arlington.

The Texans haven’t played at AT&T since 2022, when they lost, 27-23, thanks to a 2-yard touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott with 41 seconds remaining.

.Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.

All 32 NFL teams (including the Texans) ranked by FPI ratings

Here’s how the Texans rank in FPI rankings among all 32 other NFL teams entering Week 11’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Ten games into the season, the Houston Texans (6-4) have a -1.2 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 13th among all 32 teams.

The Dallas Cowboys (6-4), who play host to Houston in Week 11 on ‘Monday Night Football’, are ranked 32nd with an 8.0 FPI rating.

FPI is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.com. “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

With that background in mind, here’s a look at how the league’s 32 teams stack up based on FPI going into Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season.

  1. Detroit Lions (8-1): 7.5
  2. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): 7.0
  3. Buffalo Bills (8-2): 6.0
  4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0): 5.4
  5. San Francisco 49ers (5-4): 4.4
  6. Green Bay Packers (6-3): 4.4
  7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2): 4.2
  8. Minnesota Vikings (7-2): 2.3
  9. Washington Commanders (7-3): 2.0
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2): 1.9
  11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6): 1.7
  12. Arizona Cardinals (6-4): 1.5
  13. Houston Texans (6-4): 1.2
  14. Atlanta Falcons (6-4): 0.8
  15. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6): 0.7
  16. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3): 0.7
  17. New York Jets (3-7): 0.2
  18. Cleveland Browns (2-7): -0.3
  19. Los Angeles Rams (4-5): -0.4
  20. Miami Dolphins (3-6): -0.7
  21. New Orleans Saints (3-7): -1.3
  22. Seattle Seahawks (4-5): -1.4
  23. Chicago Bears (4-5): -1.4
  24. Indianapolis Colts (4-6): -1.6
  25. Denver Broncos (5-5): -2.8
  26. New York Giants (2-8): -4.6
  27. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7): -4.8
  28. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8): -5.1
  29. Tennesee Titans (2-7): -5.2
  30. New England Patriots (3-7): -6.5
  31. Carolina Panthers (3-7): -7.4
  32. Dallas Cowboys (3-6): -8.0

The Texans will aim to improve their rating when they take on the Cowboys in Week 11. Houston has moved down two spots since last week.